Beto O'Rourke Stops by Houston for 'Beers with Beto'

The El Paso native hopes to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz in November.

The campaign for Senate hopeful Beto O'Rourke (D—16th District) hosted a "Beers With Beto" fundraiser at The West End last Friday evening, where more than 300 people turned out to cheer on the El Paso native and hear about his proposed policies.

The candidate was in the middle of a 23-stop town hall tour that began last Wednesday in Rockwall and ended on Monday in Laredo. In his bid to unseat standing Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, O'Rourke hopes reaching everyday folks of diverse backgrounds across the state will help him win their votes later this year.

In between cheers and applause, O'Rourke reminded the crowd his campaign will be funded completely by the people, without help from corporations or political action committees.

After passionate opening remarks, O'Rourke took questions about his stance on everything from veterans' benefits and healthcare to immigration and education costs. Citing an anecdote of a Fort Stockton doctor whose student loans were forgiven after six years of community service, O'Rourke touted a proposal for a mandatory "year of service" for youth entering the military or other public service fields.

He mingled with supporters and even engaged a few for selfies. For any hope of flipping Texas' junior Senate seat to blue, O'Rourke will need to translate every interaction into a vote come November.